Chinese Restaurant Copycat Recipes

Do your kids love Chinese food? Are you too intimidated to cook these dishes so you and your family are forced to eat out every time you want Chinese food? Instead of heading out to a restaurant for your families favorite dishes, try making them at home! Want the secret ingredients for P. F. Chang’s delicious lettuce wraps or Panda Express’ tasty orange chicken? Read on to learn how copy these family favorites and more!

Mix egg with ¼ tsp. soy sauce and sesame oil, set aside. Add ½ Tbsp. oil to wok to coat the surfaces and add egg mixture, quickly swirl egg until egg sets against wok, when egg puffs, flip egg and cook other side briefly, remove from the wok and chop into small pieces.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned and remove. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium heat until dissolved. Add chicken and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

P. F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

3 Tbsps. oil

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 cup water chestnuts

2/3 cup mushroom

3 Tbsps. chopped onions

1 tsp. minced garlic

4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Sauce

¼ cup sugar

½ cup water

2 Tbsps. soy sauce

2 Tbsps. rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsps. ketchup

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. sesame oil

Stir Fry Sauce

2 Tbsps. soy sauce

2 Tbsps.brown sugar

1/2 tsp. rice wine vinegar

Directions:

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl, then add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, and sesame oil. Mix well and refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool. Keep the oil in the pan hot.

As the chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to about the size of small peas.

Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.

When chicken is cool, mince the size of the mushrooms and water chestnuts.

Add another Tbsp of vegetable oil to the pan and add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms to the pan. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce and top with sauce.

Panda Express Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 egg

1 ½ tsps. salt

oil (for frying)

½ cup cornstarch, plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ cup flour

1 Tbsp. gingerroot, minced

1 tsp. garlic, minced

½ tsp. crushed hot red chili pepper

¼ cup green onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. rice wine

¼ cup water

½ tsp. sesame oil

Orange Sauce for Stir Fry

1 ½ Tbsps.soy sauce

1 1/2 Tbsps. water

5 Tbsps. sugar

5 Tbsps. white vinegar

Zest of one orange

Directions:

Place chicken pieces in large bowl. Stir in egg, salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. oil and mix well. Stir cornstarch and flour together. Mix flour mixture and egg mixture. Add chicken pieces, stirring to coat. Heat oil for deep-frying in wok or deep-fryer to 375 degrees. Add chicken, small batches at a time, and fry 3 to 4 minutes or until golden crisp. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

Clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat and add 1 Tbsp. oil. Add ginger and garlic and stir-fry about 10 seconds. Add and stir-fry crushed chiles and green onions. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds. Add Orange Sauce and bring to boil. Add cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed. Stir water into remaining 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and add to chicken.Heat until sauce is thickned. Stir in sesame oil and orange zest if desired.